Apparatus for extracting vapors from gaseous mixtures



Patented Jan. 3. 1922.

G. A. BURRELL, G'. G. GBERFELL AND C. L. VORESS. APPARMUS FOR EXTRACVTING vAPoRs FROM GAsEous wuxTuREs.

APPLICATION. FILED JUNE 18. |920. 1,402,340.

entre rires *learnt erica.

GEORGE A. BUVBRELL, OF NEW' YORK, N. Y., GEORGE Gr;

OKLAHOMA, AND GLYDE L. VOBESS; OF BRADFORD,

OBERFELL, OF TULSA, PENNSYLVANIA, AS-

SIGNORS TO GASOLINE RECOVERY- CORPORATION, A CORPORATION OF DELA- lrenefrus For, Exr'nncrmevenons Faoin eesnoos Mrxrunns.

Monete,

- Application led .Tune 18,

i ments in Apparatus forExt-ract'ing Vapors from Gaseous Mixtures; and We do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to improvements in apparatus for extracting vapors from gaseous mixtures by the absorption system:

The principal object of the invention is to provide an apparatus including solid absorbing media and means for introducing steam or analogous vapor directly into the absorbing media for distilling vapors from the same.

Another object of the invention is to furnish an,apparatus of the above character having a number 'of units connected together by valved piping which permits distillation to be practiced in one unit while absorption is taking place in other units.

A further object is to provide' a system by which selective absorption may be practiced.v

With the foregoing objects outlined and with other objects in view, the invention consists in the novel features hereinafter described in detail. illustrated in the accompanying drawing, and more particularly set forth in the claims. n

Referring to the drawing Fig. l is a diagrammatic view of the improved apparatus.

Big. 2 's an enlarged vertical sectional view of one of the absorber units.

In the drawing l designates a gas inlet pipe for conveying vapor carrying gas to the absorbing units 2, 3 and 4. This pipe .Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 3, i922. 1920. Serial No. 389,954.

is connected to the absorbers by conduits 5 6 and 7 having valves 8, 9 and 10.

Gas leaving the absorbers is conveyed by an outlet pipe 11, which is connected to the top of the units by conduits ,12, 13 and 14 having valves 15, 16 and 17 Vapor outlet pipes 18, 19 and 2() having valves 21, 22 and 23 extend upwardly from the absorber units and are connected to a common pipe 2li, which conducts the vapors to a condenser 25 that empties into a gravity condensate separator 26 having a Water out let trap-pipe 27 and a recovered vapor condensate outlet trap pipe 28.

SteamV inlet pipes 29, 30 valves 32, 33 and portions of the absorber units and are.con nected to a common pipe 35, which conducts steam to the absorbers from a steam generator 36 having a suitable heating element 3T.

Units 2 and 3 communicate through a pipe 38, havin-g a valve 39, which places and 3l having the top of absorber 2 in communication with the bottom of absorber 3.

Units 3 and e are connected by a similar pipe Li0 having a valve 4l. A pipe 42 having a valve 43, connects thev top ot unit to the lower portion of absorber 2.

Each absorbing unit, as shown in Fig, 2, consists of a tubular or hollow body 4i having' a removable cover 45 and a removable bottom 46 connected to the body by thread- 'ed studs and nuts 47.

rihe body-'is provided with an internal flange or shoulder 49 on which rests a supporting screen or porous partition 51. Resting on the screen is a body 52 of solid absorbing` medium, such as activated charcoal, silica gel or the like,and resting on the `uppersurtace of the absorbing body isa reticulated partition 50 having a weight 48 which causes it to follow the mass as it settles. This screen must rest directly on top of the body 52 to prevent moving which would powder the absorbing media.

For the purpose of the following short description, it will be assumed that the unit 34, extend from the lower in Fig. 2 is the absorber 2 of the other figure. .r

The screen or porous partltion 51 1 s arranged above the bottom 46 to provide a compartment 53 into which'the gaspipe" 5 Aand the steam pipe 29 lead. It will b'e seen that the steam pipe extends diametrically across the compartment 53 -andhas longltudinal series of apertures 54 to spray steam over the entire-under side of the-body on mass of absorbing medium.

The screen 50 is arranged a slight distance below the Atop 45 to provide a chamber 55 and the pipes 18, 12 and 38 lead from this chamber. A

In using the apparatus, gas containing the vapors to be extracted or recovered, is preferably passed by way of pipe 1 through 5, 2, 38, 3, 13 and 11. As the as passes through the absorbers 2 and 3, t e solid absorbent will extract the' vapors carried by the gas and the gas .when it reaches ipe 13 will be denuded of vapors. When tie mediiun in unit 2 is fully impregnated or saturated, valves 8, 39 and :16 are closed and valves 9, 41 and 17 are opened. The gas then travels through 6, 3, 40, 4, 14 and l1. A

During the period of absorption in units 3 and 4, valves 21 and 32are opened 'and this permits steam from the (generator 36 to pass throuvhabsorber 2 an distill the vapors therefrom. The gas vapors-and the 4steam then pass by way of pipe 24 to the condenser where the gas and aqueous vapors are condensed and iiow into the gravity separator.

About the time -the absorbent in unit 3 is saturated or impregnated with gas vapors, the vapors in unit 2 have been removed from4 the absorbentin that unit and the solid absorbent in 2,l owing to the steam treatment is left very hot. Due to the heat, this absorber is not in condition to receive gas directly from the pipe 1 as the hot absorbent would not effectivelyabsorb the gas vapors, but if the gas has been previously passed through an absorber unit, then the gas is somewhat cooled and it will act to cool the absorbent in the unit, which has previously been subjected to the steam treatment. We take ad vantage of this fact to solve cooling of the absorbent without cutting any unit out of the system for any length of time. Therefore, continuing with the process, valves 9,.

41 and 17 are closed and valves 10, 43 and 15 are opened. The gas then passes from pipe 1 through 7, 4, 42, 2 and 12 tothe outlet 1 and as it is passed throu h unit 2 it effectivel cools the absorbent 1n this unit.

W ile absorption is taking place in units .4 and 2, the vapors in unit 3 willbe distilled off in a manner which is apparent... This cycle is followed indefinitely. While we have mentioned in connection with the process, that the absorbingmedia takeis impre ated, saturated, fully impregl nated, ful y saturated, etc., it may be stated that the general idea is to saturate or impregnate the absorbing media to a. Ipoint where fthe process becomesv 'commercially profitable.

It isa fact that when mixed as containing fractions ofdifferent volatillty, are subjected to absorption .media such' as activated tile are a ain volatilized and the less easily volatilize ones. are selected to replace them. Therefore, by properly regulating the valves of the presentapparatus, the volume and rate of the mixed How vmay be` controlledy to l advantage of selective absorption. This regulation isl of extreme importance, as it permits more `stable products having lower f vaportension ,to be .obtained thanwould otherwise be 1 While we ave described the passage of the gas and Steam as traveling upwardly through Vthe absorbing media, we have found that by passing the steam downwardly, in-

possible.. f

stead of upwardly, we are enabled to,eifect' a material saving in steam. We believe this is due to the fact thatv condensed water drains through the charcoal and does not have Jto'be re-volatilized, as it does in the case where the steam is passing upward. Therefore, we do not wish to limit the present case to thel passage .of the gas or steam in any particular direction.

.What we claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is z---I 1 g 1. An absorbin tower comprising a body yhaving a remova le top and bottom, solid absorbent medium located in the tower, gas inlets and outlets leading into the tower, a vapor outlet, and a steam conductin 'pipe extending into the tower for intro ucing steamvinto said absorbent medium.`

2. absorbing tower comprising a tubular body having a removable top and bottom, porouspartitions located in the body and spaced. from the .to and bottom,a mass of solid absorbent me ium located between the partitiois, a gasinlet and steam inlet leading finto the tower below one of the partitions, and a gas outlet and a vapor outlet extending from the tower above the other partitie 3. An apparatus for extracting vapors from gases comprisin a plurality of Yabsorbing units, solid a sorbing media con-- tained in each unit, a gas inlet pipe, a valved conduit connectin said pipe to the lower portion'of each o said units, a gas'outlet pipe, a valved ,conduit connecting the top portion of each unit to said .outlet pipe, a;

extending into the absorbent media in each unit.

In testimony whereof, we aiix our signa,- tures.

GEORGE A. BURRELL. GEORGE G. oBEREELL. CLYDE L. voREse. 

